Batman: Earth One, Volume Two Review

***Spoilers for Batman: Earth One, Volume One*** Back in 2010, DC released it’s first Earth One book, re-imaginings of their biggest superheros as complete volumes (not monthly issues compiled into a graphic novel like regular comics). Superman: Earth One was the first one to drop, but the most heralded one was Batman: Earth One, released a couple of years later in 2012. The Geoff Johns / Gary Frank collaboration drew praise from far and wide for the bold and innovative things they had done with Batman’s origin, a story that has probably been tread more than any other comic book story ever. After it’s success, a Volume Two was promised and in May, it finally came to fruition and it was well worth the wait.

As Volume One began in showing a hugely inexperienced Batman on patrol, this volume begins having only slightly pushed the boulder uphill for the Dark Knight. His experience is still very limited to what we saw in the first volume and he’s still a long way from becoming the legendary crime fighter that will one day lead the Justice League. The added complexity for Batman is he’s now dealing with the perception that he killed the Penguin (the corrupt Mayor Cobblepot) on top of still trying to fight crime in Gotham. But not only is Batman still learning to be Batman, Bruce Wayne is still learning how to be Bruce Wayne. The spotlight is put on him with his dealings with the Dent siblings. Yes, Harvey the District Attorney and his twin sister Jessica, the new mayor. As evidenc…